SKYSCAN 1278
Bruker’s next-generation
SkyScan 1278
The SKYSCAN 1278 is a high throughput, stand-alone, desktop in vivo micro-CT for scanning small laboratory animals (mice, rats, …).
The large image field of view (up to 80 mm wide and 200 mm long) allows full body mouse scanning with a single camera field of view. Variable X-Ray energy combined with a range of filters ensures optimal image quality for diverse research applications including pneumology, cardiology and body composition analysis. The system can perform scanning with continuous gantry rotation and in step-and-shoot mode with scanning cycles down to 7.2 sec.
Furthermore, the SKYSCAN 1278 in vivo micro-CT administers a low radiation dose to the animals allowing multiple scans in longitudinal preclinical studies without the risk of unwanted radiation – induced side effects. The fully integrated physiological monitoring package allows monitoring and controlling the animal’s wellbeing at all times through a video stream, ECG, temperature and breathing detection.
The SKYSCAN 1278 is complemented by 3D.SUITE. This extensive software suite covers GPU-accelerated reconstruction, 2D/ 3D morphological analysis, as well as surface and volume rendering visualization.
The SKYSCAN 1278 is a high throughput, stand-alone, desktop in vivo micro-CT for scanning small laboratory animals (mice, rats, …).
The large image field of view (up to 80 mm wide and 200 mm long) allows full body mouse scanning with a single camera field of view. Variable X-Ray energy combined with a range of filters ensures optimal image quality for diverse research applications including pneumology, cardiology and body composition analysis. The system can perform scanning with continuous gantry rotation and in step-and-shoot mode with scanning cycles down to 7.2 sec.
Furthermore, the SKYSCAN 1278 in vivo micro-CT administers a low radiation dose to the animals allowing multiple scans in longitudinal preclinical studies without the risk of unwanted radiation – induced side effects. The fully integrated physiological monitoring package allows monitoring and controlling the animal’s wellbeing at all times through a video stream, ECG, temperature and breathing detection.
The SKYSCAN 1276 is complemented by 3D.SUITE. This extensive software suite covers GPU-accelerated reconstruction, 2D/ 3D morphological analysis, as well as surface and volume rendering visualization.
Features
Mouse and Rat Cassettes
The SkyScan 1278 is supplied with exchangeable animal cassettes that can be used in all Bruker in-vivo imaging instruments for co-registration of functional and morphological information from the same animal. The cassettes are equipped with face mask and tubes for anaesthetic gas as well as with connectors for ECG electrodes and a temperature sensor. All tubes and contacts are combined to a single connector, which can be attached to or detached from the animal transport system by simple turn of a small slider. To prevent leakage of anaesthetic gas, corresponding connections have valves which stay closed if the animal cassette is disconnected from the animal transport system.
Touchscreen Control
The user interface of the SkyScan1278 system is simple and intuitive. The instrument can be controlled from the computer screen and also from the embedded force-sensitive touchscreen, which can be operated by gloved hands. The touchscreen allows selection of scanning protocol, adjusting animal bed position and control of imaging and scanning. Where multiple animal scans are started from the touchscreen, the software will automatically save acquired data to separate subfolders with incrementally assigned folder names and dataset file prefixes.
ON-SCREEN REAL-TIME DOSE METER
The SkyScan1278 control software includes a real-time on-screen dose meter. It indicates an estimation of the dose absorbed by the animal body during scanning. The measurement is based on the absorption calculated from X-ray projection images of the animal cross-calibrated with electronic dosimeter measurements. The dose meter shows accumulated dose or dose rate. It is calibrated for X-ray absorption in the standard mouse and rat cassettes. In this way it measures the X-ray dose absorbed in animal body itself during scanning. The dose absorbed by the animal during a scan is documented in the scan log-file together with all scan and reconstruction settings.